Steady-strain device for trolley constructions.



0. S. LYFORD, JR.

STEADY STRAIN DEVICE FOR TROLLEY OONSTRUGTIONS. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 12, 1909.

1,087,673. Patented Feb. 17, 1914.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPN cov, WASHINGTON, n. c.

OLIVER S. LYFORD, JR., OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

STEADY-STRAIN DEVICE FOR TROLLEY CONSTRUCTIONS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 17, 1914.

Application filed August 12, 1909. Serial No. 512,492.

To all 107mm it may concern Be it known that l, OLIVER S. LYFORD, Jr., acitizen of the United States, residing at New York city, county of New York, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steady- Strain Devices fer Trolley Constructions, fully described and represented in the following specificatioi'i and the accon'lpanying drawings, foru'iing a part of the same.

This invention relates to a steady strain device for holding trolley wires against lateral displacement, and especially to such de- \ices for use on catenary trolley constructions. In *atenary trolley construct-ions, the 'rolley wire hung from a messenger cable by means of hangers spaced at suitable distances apart. The messenger cable is held in position at each point of support by an insulator to which it is attached, but the trolley wire hanging beneath the messenger cable, in the absence of some special means for preventing it, would be free to move laterally from the desired position vertically beneath the messenger wire. Such lateral movement of the trolley wire is likely to occur at any part of the line, but it is especially troublesome on curves where the trolley wire if unrestrained would be apt to move out of position sufficiently to interfere with the operation of the current collecting devices of the cars. For preventing such lateral movement, devices known as steady strains or steady strain devices are employed. Such devices usually include an arm or rod extending between the trolley wire and a part of the supporting structure to one side of the trolley wire. and an insulating device fer preventing the passage of current between the supporting structure and the trolley wire, such insulating device being usuall at the outer end of the arm or rod and forming the supporting connection tl'ierefor; and such devices should be con structed so as not to interfere with the vertical movements of the trolley wire under the pressure from the current collecting devices on the cars. or from expansion and contraction of the messenger cable. Heretoforc the form and construction of such steady strain devices has been such that if the device became unsupported at its outer end or end connected with the trolley supporting structure by means of an insulating device, it would fall down into the path of movement of the current collecting devices,

which of course, might lead to serious dam age to the structure as well as to the collecting devices. To guard against such accidents, it has been the practice to use a supporting insulator of an expensive type which requires support at the top and bottom, and which, moreover, occupies so much space that it has to be placed far to one side of the trolley wire so that a current collecting device of the pantograph type will not strike it. The result has been a somewhat cumbersome and quite expensive construction which nevertheless was still open to objection on account of the possibility of the insulator breaking or becoming disconnected from the supporting structure, or of the laterally extending arm or rod of the steady strain deice becoming disconnected from the insulator, so that the arm would drop into the path of movement of the current collecting device. Another objectionable feature of such devices is that the laterally extending arm, being so long as to extend beyond the zone of movement of the pantograph and extending approximately horizontally, is liable to be hit bv the end of the pantogra ')h if the latter becomes tilted.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved steady strain device which will make it possible and safe to use a pin type insulator or other standard and inexpensive form of insulator, which will give greater clearance for the pantograph than the steady strain devices heretofore in use, and which will avoid danger of damage to the catenary structure or to the pantograph through the breaking of the steady strain device, and the cost of which will be materially less than that of the devices hereto fore used: and the invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combinations of parts in a st iady strain device, as specifically pointed out in the claims.

A full understanding of the invention can best be given by a detailed description of a preferred construction embodying the various features of the invention and a modititation thereof. and such a description will now be given in connection with the accompanying drawings, showing such preferred construction and modification.

In said drawings, Figure 1 shows in perspective a portion of a catenary trolley construction provided with a steady strain device made in accordance with the invention, and shows also the upper portion of a pantograph current collecting device in position to take current from the trolley wire. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the steady strain device. Fig. 3 is a view taken at right angles to Fig. 2 and showing the supporting bracket for the insulator of the steady strain device in section. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the supporting pin extending downward from the insulator. Fig. 5 is a section on line 5 of Fig. 4, and Fig. 6 shows in elevation a modified construction embodying certain features of the invention.

Referring to the drawings, (1 represents a trolley wire supported by suitably spaced hangers I) from a messenger wire 0.

(Z represents the upper part of a pantograph current collecting device supposed to be mounted on the top of a car so that its transverse current collecting shoe (5 will travel in contact with the under side of the trolley wire.

The steady strain device, as shown in Figs. 1 to 5, comprises an arm 10 which is adapted to be clamped rigidly to the trolley wire by means of a clamp 11 and bolt 12 at one end of the arm and which is of such weight and dimensions that if carrying no additional weight it will be supported by the trolley wire above the plane of movement of the shoe of the pantograph. The other or outer end of the arm 10 is supported and positioned as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 by means of a supporting pin 13 which forms part of or extends downward from an insulator 14, which may be an ordinary pin type porcelain insulator as shown. The supporting pin 13 extends into and will be cemented in a socket formed in the underside of the porcelain or insulating part of the insulator 14, and the insulator is supported by being cemented into a cap 15 forming part of a supporting bracket 16 which is bolted or otherwise secured to a part of the supporting structure of the eatenary construction. As shown in the drawings, this supporting bracket is bolted to one of the supporting arms 17 which carry the insulators to which the messenger wire 0 is secured.

The arm 10 and supporting pin 13 are connected by means of a downwardly turned hook 20 formed on the end of the arm 10 and an opening 21 in the lower end of the pin 13 to receive the hook. The arm 10 has i an upwardly projecting stop shoulder 22 at the base of the hook, and the opening 21 and hook 520 are so shaped, as shown in the drawings, that the arm 10 will be free to swing to a limited extent both vertically and horizontally. The vertical movement of the arm is necessary to avoid interference with the rising and falling movement of the trolley wire, and the horizontal movement avoids interference with the longitudinal movement of the trolley wire resulting from expansion and contraction. This connection between the arm 10 and supporting pin 13, by means of the downwardly turned hook 520 and the opening or eye 21, serves, therefore, to hold the arm 10 in position to prevent lateral displacement of the trolley wires, while permitting the necessary vertical and longitudinal swinging movement of the arm 10, so long as the arm and supporting pin remain in substantially the relative positions shown in Figs. 1 and 2. If, however, the pin 13 should break loose from the insulator, or if the insulator should break or become unsupported by the bracket 16, then as the arm 10 is caused to swing downward under the weight of the unsupported pin, or pin and insulator, to a position as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2, the pin would swing outward on the hook until it reached a position, shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, in which it would be free to drop clear of the hook. The pin thus falling to the ground, the arm 10 will be relieved from the weight of the pin and any parts connected therewith, and will be immediately raised up again to a position above the plane of travel of the pantograph. The upwardly projecting shoulder 22 on the arm 10 serves to insure the pin swinging outward when the arm 10 swings downward.

In the absence of means, such as shown, for automatically disconnecting the pin 13 from the arm 10, it the supporting pin should in any way become unsupported, the weight of the parts which would then be carried by the arm 10 would be SRillCiOllt to twist; the trolley wire so as to permit hese parts to swing downward into the path of movement of the pantograph. This. of course, would be liable to cause damage to the next pantograph passing such broken steady strain device, or to the trolley structure itself. All such chance of damage avoided by my invention. V

As has been lierebetorc pointed out, a serious objection to steady strain devices heretofore in use, has been that the steady arm extending out beyond the zone of travel of the pantograph has been arranged to extend approximately horizontal, with the result that it the pantograph becomes tilted out of its horizontal position to any considerable extent it is liable to strike the arm of the steady strain device, with resultant damage. In the structure shown in Figs. 1 to the steady arm is so short as not to extend beyond the zone of travel of the pantograph, and is set to slant upward from the trolley wire to provide suflicient clearance to avoid danger of its being struck by the pantograph even it the latter should be very considerably tilted out of its normal horizontal position, and the steady arm is supported at its outer end by a depending pin from an insulator which is supported entirely from above, so that no part of the device will extend downward to a position in which it might be struck by the pantograph. The use of a supporting insulator which has no part projecting downward below the end of the steady arm, makes it possible to use in the device a short arm so that the insulator is brought within the zone of travel of the pantograph, and the use of a short steady arm makes it possible to set the arm to slant upward from the trolley wire sutliciently to avoid all danger or chance of its being struck by the pantograph. The use of an ordinary pin type insulator such as shown in Figs. 1 to 3, or of any other suitable form of insulator which does not require supporting means extending below the insulator and by which the end of the steady arm is supported beneath the insulator, without risk of damage in case the insulator or supporting means should break, is made possible because of the means provided for causing the supporting pin to be automatically disconnected from the steady arm in case of breakage resulting in the supporting pin becoming unsupported.

.lt should be noted, further, that while in the old long arm devices it was customary and desirable to make the steady arms of wood to avoid short circuiting, for example, through the bodies of birds which might alight on the structure, in the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 5 no part electrically connected to a grounded part of the catenary structure extends beneath the porcelain of the insulator, and all parts of the device between the porcelain of the insulator and the trolley wire are separated from the grounded members by sutlicient space to eliminate all practical danger of short circuiting, so that the steady arm as well as all other parts of the device, except the insulator may be and preferably will be made of metal.

It is sometimes desirable, as for example where it is desired for any reason to make use of a long laterally extending connecting arm in the steady strain device, instead of a short arm construction such as Ihave shown in Figs. 1 to 5, to construct the device so that the laterally extending arm itself will in case of breakage be automatically disconnected from the trolley wire. Such a construction is shown in Fig. 6, in which the steady arm 10 is shown as connected at one end to one of the hangers Z) by which the trolley wire is suspended from the messenger wire. The other or outer end of the arm 10 which is shown as broken away, will be supported by any suitable insulating and supporting device from any suitable part of the catenary construction. The steady arm is connected with the hanger b by means formed to cause the arm in case it should become broken or unsupported at its outer end to be automatically disconnected from the hanger so that it will immediately drop to the ground instead of remaining hanging and projecting into the path of the pantograph.

As shown in Fig. 6, the hanger b is of tubular form, and has an opening 30 in the wall of the tube, and the end of the arm 10 is provided with a downwardly extending hook 31 which extends into the opening 30 to form a connection whereby the hanger and trolley wire will be held by the arm against sidewise movement, while such rela tive movement between the arm and the hanger will be permitted as is required to accommodate the vertical and longitudinal movement of the trolley wire and hanger. The rod is also provided near its end with a downwardly projecting lug or abutment 32. With this construction, it the arm l0 should become broken or its outer end unsupported so that the arm swings downward into the path of the pantograph, the lug 32 will strike against the side ofthe hanger tube and cause the hook 31 to be withdrawn from the opening 30, thus freeing the arm from the hanger and allowing it to drop. The lug 352 should be placed at sufficient distance from the hook, as shown, so that the lug and hook will not act to grip the side of the hanger tube between them and so prevent the disengagement and fall of the arm.

It will be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the exact construction shown, but that it includes changes and mod ifications thereof within the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a steady strain device for trolley wires, the combination of a part adapted to be connected to a trolley wire, a support, a connecting member between the support and said part, and connecting means for connecting said connecting member with said part formed to cause said member to be antomatically disconnected from said part if said member becomes unsupported by said support.

2. In a steady strain device for trolley 1,

wires, the combination with a support. of parts between the trolley wire and the support, including a connecting member and means for causing said member to be automatically disconnected from the trolley wire if said member becomes unsupported by said support.

3. In a steady strain device for trolley wires, the combination of an insulator, a support therefor, a laterally extending steady arm supported at one end from the insulator, means for connecting the other end of the steady arm to hold the trolley wire against lateral movement, and means for causing a part of said device to become disconnected from another part thereof it the end of the steady arm away from the trolley wire becomes unsupported.

In a steady strain device for trolley wires, the combination of an insulator, a. support therefor, a laterally extending steady arm, means for rigidly connecting one end of the steady arm to the trolley wire, a member supported by the insulator for supporting the other end of the steady arm, and means for causing said member to become disconnected from the steady arm if said member becomes unsupported.

5. A steady strain device for trolley wires, comprising an arm, means for connecting the arm rigidly to the trolley wire to extend laterally therefrom, a supporting member for supporting the outer end of said arm, insulating and supporting means for said member, and means for connecting said member and said arm formed to cause said member to be automatically disconnected from the arm if said member becomes unsupported.

6. A steady strain device for trolley wires, comprising an arm, means for connecting the arm rigidly to the trolley wire to extend laterally therefrom, a pin-type insulator having a depending pin by which the outer end of said arm is supported, a support for said insulator, and means for connecting said arm to the insulator pin formed to cause the insulator pin to become disconnected from the arm if the insulator pin becomes unsupported.

7. A steady strain device for trolley wires, comprising an arm, means for connecting the arm rigidly to the trolley wire to extend laterally therefrom, a supporting member for supporting the outer end of the arm, insulating and supporting means for said member, and means for connecting said arm to said member formed to permit said arm to swing vertically and horizontally and to cause said member to become disconnected from the arm if said member becomes un- 7 supported.

8. A steady strain device for trolley Wires, comprising a steady arm, means for connecting the arm to the trolley wire to extend laterally and upwardly therefrom, so as to leave the space beneath the trolley wire and beneath the upwardly extending steady arm clear for the passage of a transverse current-collecting device, a depending pin-type insulator having a downwardly extending pin by which the outer end of the steady arm is supported, and a support for the insulator.

9. A steady strain device for trolley wires, comprising a support, a pin-type insulator carried by the support and having a depending pin, and a steady arm extending laterally and upwardly from the trolley wire and having its outer end beneath the insulator pin and connected with the insulator pin by means formed to cause the pin to become disconnected from the arm if the pin becomes unsupported.

10. A steady strain device for trolley wires, comprising a support, a pin type insulator carried by the support and having a downwardly extending pin and a steady arm extending laterally and upwardly from the trolley wire and connected to be supported by the insulator pin, the end of the arm being formed with a hook 20 and shoulder 22 and the pin being formed with an eye 21 to receive the hook 20 of the steady arm, whereby the arnrwill be held by the pin to prevent lateral displacement of the trolley wire and the pin will become disconnected from the arm in case it becomes unsupported.

11. A steady strain device for trolley wires, comprising a steady arm extending laterally and upwardly from the trolley wire so as to leave the space beneath the trolley wire and beneath the upwardly extending arm free for the passage of a transverse current-collecting device, a depending pin-type insulator having a downwardly extending pin by which the outer end of the steady arm is supported and to which it is connected to be free to swing vertically and horizontally, and a support for the insulater.

12. A steady strain device for trolley wires, comprising a steady arm 10 extending laterally and upwardly from the trolley wire so as to leave the space beneath the trolley wire and beneath the steady arm clear for the passage of a transverse currentcollecting device, a supporting bracket 16, a depending pin-type insulator 14 carried by the bracket, and a supporting pin 13 extending downward from the insulator and supporting the outer end of the steady arm and to which the steady arm is connected by means permitting it to swing vertically.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

OLIVER S. LYFORD, JR.

Witnesses W. L. MURRAY, VVILLIAM B. BARKLEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each,

by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C. 

